I thought for a long time about what to start writing about in my first articles and decided to talk about one of the very important components - priming. For citrus fruits, the right composition is no less important than proper watering, temperature and light conditions. There are several general criteria for composition: the soil for citrus fruits must be nutritious, air-permeable. There are many recommendations on the Internet on the composition, the ratio of components, and so on, but in practice, everyone either buys ready-made soil mixtures in stores, especially at first, or takes any soil from the garden in the country. In my opinion, both of these options fail.
Professionals measure soil acidity, water analysis for irrigation, lighting power. I don’t do all this, but only learn from my mistakes and my posts are intended more for beginners, although it would be interesting to read expert comments.

Shop soil mixtures, whether universal or "for citrus", consist mainly of peat. I can't say that peat is bad, I even read that some citrus growers grow plants in pure peat. Such soils pass moisture well, light. They develop a good root system. My practice has shown that by transplanting a plant into such a soil (I used the "Garden of Miracles - for citrus"), it began to grow well. I couldn't be happier. But after six months or a year, the plant began to wither. I thought the problem was poor maintenance. But now I have come to a different conclusion. The whole problem is that manufacturers add fertilizer to these soil mixtures. And they are enough for about half a year. Further, such soil is depleted. After all, it’s not in vain that they write on the packages that you need to use fertilizer from the same manufacturer. About fertilizers, I will write a little later, but on the topic I will add that it becomes difficult to equalize the balance of substances - this is the problem of purchased soils. Perhaps there are good soils, but I have never met.

I have tried different potting mixes and tested on many plants - besides the citrus varietals I wrote about in the first post, I have many plants grown from seeds. What is most interesting, different species react differently to the composition. I tried planting in a clean black soil who scored in the meadow from the molehill. "Heavy" soils for citrus fruits at a young age are very undesirable. Especially it is impossible to transplant or transship plants at rest. Chernozem goes astray and becomes an insurmountable barrier for the roots and they begin to grow along the walls of the pot. Since there are almost no roots inside the coma and no moisture is consumed, the soil begins to turn sour, which means that the main macro- and microelements become inaccessible. Grapefruits and pamelo reacted very badly to the transshipment into pure black soil, they even almost disappeared. The root did not develop at all. Lemons and oranges grew normally in the black soil. I can’t explain why so far, it’s clear that each species has its own version of the composition of the soil. By the way, the older the tree, the more "heavy" and nutritious soil can be used.

Once I was in a forest where there were a lot of oaks around. I scraped together leaf humus- somewhere 1-2 cm ball under the leaves and rolled into pure humus mandarin or clementine, although they are weaker in growth than other citrus fruits. After that, the mandarin overtook all other "savages" of his age and waved 2 times more. True, in winter its growth stopped and now lemons are slowly catching up with it. Stopping growth can still be associated with the amount of land in which it grows, but I'm not going to transfer it to a large "container" yet.
At this stage, I decided to experiment and made the following composition: black soil, forest land from under oaks in a 1: 1 ratio. It seems to me that even a very good mixture turned out - nutritious and air-permeable. Below I will give a photo, where from right to left: black soil, forest land + deciduous humus (specially divided so that it can be seen) and the result after mixing.

A year has already passed since I transferred several citrus fruits to such a land. The results are excellent: even without fertilizer, everything develops well.

If it is not possible to get "light" earth, and there is only heavy, but nutritious, you can buy baking powder perlite, vermiculite, coconut flakes (not to be confused with culinary) and prepare the mixture "by eye". I have all 3 components, but for some reason I do not like to use them, they seem too artificial to me. But, as the saying goes: "On lack of fish and cancer - fish."

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, is a description of my mistakes. The most important mistake, as it turned out, was the pouring of soil in layers during transplantation. If you want to use soil mix, mix it thoroughly first, and then transplant / transfer the plant. And do not add soil for citrus fruits on top, which is very different in composition. The problem is this: as I wrote, different soils have different water permeability. If there is not much water left in the sandy soil, then the chernozem can accumulate a lot of water. And if, for example, we have black soil at the top, and sandy soil at the bottom, then we simply won’t know when to water the plant. The top ball will be wet and the bottom ball will dry completely. And vice versa, if the black soil is from below, then we will water the plant more often, because the top layer will be dry and it will seem to us that watering is needed - as a result, the plants are flooded, which affects them very badly.

Of course, in a year or two I can change my mind about everything I am writing about now, but at this stage I already have some experience and it is very valuable for me, which allows me not only to grow citrus fruits on the windowsill, but and get harvests.

Added on 06/09/2016
Sooner or later, a beginner citrus grower will still become a professional. So after 3 years I changed my mind a little: the acidity of the soil is very important. I advise you to read the details in the relevant topic.

I also changed my mind about purchased soils - expensive professional peat-based soils are quite good and will serve perfectly for those who do not have experience / the ability to make their own soil mixtures. But among the cheap substrates of acceptable quality was not found.

Growing citrus fruits at home is not easy, but interesting. For its success, all aspects must be taken into account: proper watering, sufficient illumination, timely pruning, temperature conditions and high-quality soil. Moreover, the quality and composition of the soil should be perfectly suitable for citrus cultivation. In order to successfully stimulate the growth and development of the plant in the future.

Soil requirement

The soil for citrus fruits should be highly nutritious, light and loose, for optimal absorption of moisture and air. But do not abuse the loosening of the soil, so as not to damage the roots. In order to prevent the root system of the seedling from drying out or rotting, the soil should not be heavy so as not to interfere with the proper distribution of moisture.

Citrus plants do not grow well on clay soil, with poor water and air conductivity. Too light peat soils are also not suitable. The ideal option is a homogeneous mixture of these two types of soil.

Another important indicator is the acidity of the soil, which can vary from 5.5 to 7.0 pH, and is determined by the presence of hydrogen ions in the soil structure. It is measured using an acidity indicator or litmus paper by the color of the indicator strip.

During the summer period, the acidity of the soil can be determined by the folk method using currant leaves. The leaves of the plant are poured with boiling water, and they are waiting for it to cool. Then a piece of earth is placed in the infusion. Reddened water is a sign of acidic, unsuitable soil for citrus fruits. Excess soil acid is reduced with slaked lime, and acidity is increased with a solution of ascorbic acid (1 tablet per 1 liter of water) or tree ash.

Required composition

The composition of the soil from chernozem and earth from under oaks is considered optimal. It is a very breathable and nutrient-rich soil. There are several types of soil mixtures suitable for growing citrus at home:

• Soil mixtures. Peat is the main component of the substrate. The composition of peat soil includes a considerable number of minerals, it absorbs moisture well and conducts air, which has a beneficial effect on the formation of the root system.
• Chernozems. A small amount of black soil can be included in the composition of the soil for citrus fruits. Since it has a tendency to compaction, and this is detrimental to the development of the roots of the plant.
• Leaf manure. Promotes increased growth, simplifies the process of adaptation of young plants to the soil. It is a good alternative to mineral fertilizers.

Do-it-yourself soil

There are several options for preparing soil mixtures for citrus fruits. The composition can include peat, sand, humus, leafy and soddy soil. The main requirement is that the substrate must be neutral or not very acidic. If you have hard water, a slightly acidic soil is best.

Here are a few soil mix recipes that you can easily make at home:

1. Combine in equal proportions humus from manure, leaf and sod land (previously sifted). Then add washed granular river sand (10% of the total composition of the mixture) and 200 g of superphosphate in granules, mix everything thoroughly.
2. To a mixture of leafy, soddy soil, humus from horse manure and river sand, another ingredient is added - peat soil. Components must not contain third-party impurities. For planting large plants, the amount of soddy land in the substrate is doubled.
3. This substrate is made up of soddy and leafy soil, sand (river or sea), and manure humus. The ratio of components depends on which plants the mixture will be used for planting. For young citrus plants (2:1:1:1), for adults (3:1:1:1).
4. To obtain a highly nutritious mixture, increase the content of leafy soil. The composition of the substrate: sod land, leaf land, manure and sand (2: 3: 1: 1.5). Charcoal (0.5) is added to prevent rotting of the root system and increase air permeability.
5. To prepare this mixture, garden soil, sand and peat are taken (2: 1: 1). It would not be superfluous to add organic fertilizer (1 to 10 of the volume of the substrate), which will enrich the mixture with useful substances.

Land for the mixture should be prepared in advance. Soddy land is collected in meadows and folded in layers for rotting. It is advisable to take humus from the leaves under birches and lindens. The finished substrate is sifted through a mesh and frozen to reduce pests and weeds.

To disinfect the soil, it is steamed in a water bath. To do this, a smaller pot with earth is placed in a large pot of water, then the whole structure is set on fire and heated. After boiling water, the mixture is kept in the bath for at least half an hour. Sand for the substrate is preferably calcined in the oven.

Ready substrate

There are many options for ready-made store mixes, with a balanced structure and the main component - peat. Mixes are completely ready for planting and do not need any additions. The artificial components included in the composition improve the quality of the substrate, viz.

Kira Stoletova

At home, citrus trees are often grown. These are capricious plants that require special care. It begins with the question of how to choose and prepare the soil for citrus fruits.

Soil characteristics

Caring for citrus fruits begins with selecting the perfect soil for them. It should be as close as possible to the composition of the soil on which these plants grow in natural conditions. For this, light, loose, water- and breathable soils are used. Heavy soils with clay components prevent water and air from penetrating to the root system, and therefore are not suitable for such purposes. Excessively light peat also does not have the necessary characteristics for growing plants, unlike loam and sandstone.

In a substrate suitable for growing citrus, a low acidity level is established. Lemons and other representatives of the species prefer neutral or close to neutral soils, with a pH of 6-7 units. High acidity or alkalinity of the earth leads to rapid aging of the plant.

In the soil, using litmus paper, the level of hydrogen ions is determined: they regulate acidity.

A handy way is to check with currant leaves. A few leaves of blackcurrant are placed in a jar, poured with hot water. After cooling, a small lump of earth is thrown into the infusion. A change in the shade of water to reddish is evidence of a high acidity index.

The filled pot should encourage the growth of the crops. Drainage is initially placed at its bottom. The density of the substrate should allow the development of the root system. If the root goes around the entire clod of earth and makes its way through the hole at the bottom of the tank, it's time to replant the tree, having worked well on the friability of the soil and its mineral warehouse.

The constituent elements of the substrate

It is impossible to find suitable land for growing citrus fruits in our latitudes. It is preferable to make special soil mixtures yourself. Often, purchased soil intended for lemons is used for this purpose, but it uses its potential after 1-1.5 years, then it is changed. Such frequent plant transplants are not recommended.

The key ingredients for mixing a comfortable substrate for these trees are:

1. Garden soil, preferably old, which is formed under fruit trees and bushes. It has a special nutritional value at a distance of half a meter from a tree trunk, namely a layer 7 cm thick. The earth from molehills is even more valued: it is neutral in acidity, free from remnants of roots and insects, light, crumbly. Such land is harvested in the summer, sieved through a sieve.
2. Sod - the soil layer, which is placed under perennial herbs: chamomile, clover, timothy, bluegrass, etc. - meadows and pastures. Herbs growing there choose neutral or slightly acidic soil. Sod on a sandy basis is suitable for cultivation, it is lighter, with exposure under a dark film for at least 2 years. To use, the sod is sifted through a sieve, removing excess roots and stems. Acidity is reduced by adding lime or wood ash.
3. Leaf soil is a layer of humus of fallen leaves of maple, oak, birch, linden and other trees growing far from cities and highways. It is possible to prepare such a soil yourself by raking the leaves in a pile, watering with liquid manure and water and waiting 2 years. More often, the thickness of the earth is removed in a deciduous forest right under a layer of last year's green mass. To reduce acidity, lime is added at the rate of 500 g per 1 m³.
4. Peat land appears as a result of mixing decomposed peat from raised bogs and humus. Such soil reaches full readiness in 3 years. Its acidity level is slightly higher, therefore lime is used to neutralize it - 3 kg / m³ or wood ash - 9 kg / m³. Peat soil is designed to improve the structure of the substrate, increase the function of absorbing and retaining moisture.
5. Compost is the result of the natural decomposition of organic waste, mainly of vegetable origin. It is prepared in a special pit using the means intended for this for 2 years. Before use, the compost is sieved and steamed to disinfect and get rid of weed seeds.
6. Manure humus is formed after the complete decomposition of manure waste. Its quality depends on the source material. Horse humus is considered the best for citrus fruits. In the substrate, this component is used to saturate it with useful elements and enrich it.
7. River or lake sand is added to the substrate as a component that can give lightness, looseness, and increase the breathability of the soil. It is a prophylactic against fungus and rot of the root system, perfectly retains moisture and heat. Only coarse-grained, pre-washed sand is suitable for this purpose.

Soil preparation for citrus

Before planting the plants, it is important to mix all the ingredients correctly in order to obtain a suitable substrate. For this purpose, fertile lands and elements diluting them, as well as fertilizer, are used. Successful planting of citrus fruits depends on the gardener's scrupulousness when mixing the components.

There are several recipes for this. Leafy soil, turf and humus are mixed in equal parts with river sand, which is taken in an amount of not more than 10% of the total mass of the mixture, 200 g of superphosphate are also added there. One part of peat soil is added to this composition.

You can increase the nutritional value of the substrate by increasing the part of the leafy earth. The composition of the substrate, which includes 2 parts of garden soil, one part of peat and sand, is enriched with the addition of manure or humus in the amount of the 10th part of the total volume.

Prepared substrates are thoroughly mixed and disinfected. To do this, the soil is calcined in an oven at a temperature of 80°C-90°C for 60 minutes. or boil in water (for 1 liter of liquid take 8 kg of the mixture) for half an hour. This method rids the soil of pathogenic bacteria, harmful fungal and infectious diseases, insects and worms. Such an action also worsens the general microflora of the earth, therefore, parts of the substrate that can be dangerous are subjected to such preventive methods.

The soil for citrus fruits can also have artificial components. These are mountain minerals and rocks processed industrially. These include perlite, vermiculite, expanded clay and dolomite. These materials are used for soil drainage, improving air outflow and creating soil porosity, to maintain moisture, and also to saturate the elements necessary for plant nutrition.

Mineral enrichment of soil

The fertility and hardiness of trees provides a substrate rich in mineral components. Some representatives of these plants cease to bear fruit or slow down the ability to actively vegetate without some of the substances they need. It is important to add top dressing to the composition of the substrate both before planting and during the active growth of citrus.

For these purposes, milled charcoal is suitable, which is able to increase the immunity of plants to fungal and putrefactive formations. Reduce the acidity of the soil and provide the root system with active elements lime and wood ash. Sulfates and ammonia fertilizers improve the taste of fruits and increase the ability to grow green mass of trees. Their use in the proportions appropriate for each variety and at the right time will ensure the flowering of citruses at home.

GROUND FOR CITRUS OWN HANDS

Soil mix, soil for citrus

How to prepare soil for citrus fruits

Conclusion

The composition of the soil when planting citrus crops plays an important role. At home, ready-made mixtures are used, but soil mixtures are used to increase the effectiveness of work. The substrate should be filled with useful elements as much as possible and prepared for planting citrus fruits.

Citrus growing in Russia is more than 280 years old, for the first time lemons were brought under Peter I.

The practice gained particular popularity during the Soviet Union, and interest in growing citrus fruits has not cooled to this day.

Lemon is a plant that is quite demanding on, and in order for it to begin to bloom and bear fruit, you you need to create ideal conditions for it.

Everything matters- lighting, frequency of irrigation, air humidity, soil composition, the presence of drainage; any oversight will certainly affect the appearance of the plant.

In this article we will talk about what kind of land is needed for a lemon.

What kind of soil is needed?

And so, what kind of soil is needed for lemons? What land to plant a lemon in?

1. Lemon roots do not have hairs, so it is more difficult for them to absorb nutrients from the soil than for other plants. For this reason, the soil in the pot should consist of small particles, the presence of clods of earth is unacceptable.
2. To ensure the flow of oxygen to the roots, into the soil add drainage(sand with small peat particles).
3. The soil for lemons cannot be too acidic, its PH should be around 7(can be determined using a special device - an ionometer). Acidic soil can be neutralized by adding some chalk to it.

Water for lemon cannot be acidic either, so it is recommended to water it only with settled water.

4. The nutrients contained in the earth are enough for a lemon for a maximum of a year, so in the future the soil needs to be fertilized regularly. should not contain compounds of chlorine, sulfurous and sulfuric acids.
5. Every 1-2 years it is necessary transplant a lemon into a larger pot with a complete replacement of the earth. The new pot should be larger than the previous one by 2-3 centimeters in diameter. REFERENCE: You can not transplant a plant when it bears fruit or blooms - this will lead to shedding of fruits (flowers). You will find the rules and recommendations for transplanting a lemon tree at home.

The best soil

Ordinary (universal) land for indoor flowers does not suit lemon in terms of nutrient content.

1. Lemon roots need a constant supply of oxygen, so let the earth be light and loose, without lumps.
2. Ideally, better make your own soil mix, mixing in equal parts leaf humus, ordinary earth and sand.
3. If you have chosen a purchased earth mixture (special mixtures for lemon are sold), then when transplanting a plant, be sure to add some sand and agrovermiculite to the pot(expanded clay), so that the soil becomes porous and retains more moisture.
4. In no case do not pour different parts of the soil in layers- humus, sand and black soil have different water permeability, so the water during irrigation will be distributed unevenly. Be sure to mix the soil in the pot before planting a lemon in it.
5. Agrovermiculite fall asleep at the bottom of the pot, it should occupy approximately 1/5 of its volume. Then the prepared soil is already covered. Agrovermiculite does not need to be mixed with the ground.
6. To prevent the development of fungus in the soil, add birch charcoal to the earthen mixture in a ratio of 1:40 or pour 1 cm of crushed pine bark on top of the agrovermiculite on the bottom of the pot.
7. Young cuttings lemons are first planted in wet sand, and only after a few weeks - in the ground. The grains should not be too small or too large. The optimal diameter of a young lemon pot is 12 centimeters. A ceramic pot works best for lemons.
8. If you smell rot when transplanting coming from the roots, add crushed coal to the soil and cut off the damaged roots.
9. If the soil in the pot has sunk, but the transplant time has not yet come, you need to add fresh earth to the pot.

So, preparing the soil for a lemon is not at all as simple as it seems at first glance.

But if you take this matter seriously and take into account all the recommendations, then the lemon will certainly express its gratitude to you in the form of new shoots, flowers and fruits.

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Mistakes in growing and breeding citrus plants (lemon, tangerine), proper care

Many grow citrus plants in the room, but few people manage to taste their fruits. Therefore, today we will talk about what mistakes gardeners usually make and how to avoid them.

What are citrus plants afraid of, care errors, biological features of citrus plants

First of all, it is necessary to take into account the biological characteristics of citrus plants. In winter, they need relative rest. From October to February, the temperature in the room should not exceed 12°C. However, this time coincides with the heating season, and high temperatures lead to untimely growth and depletion of plants, which will further affect fruiting.

The critical period is early spring. when warm days are suddenly replaced by a sharp cold snap. At the same time, the growth that has begun slows down sharply, the leaves are deformed, and the buds and ovaries crumble. To avoid this, it is recommended to keep the temperature in the room at 14-16°C.

Sometimes in the summer, gardeners take plants to the balcony or even transport them to the country, but it’s better not to do this, since citruses painfully react to any changes and adapt very slowly to new conditions. Overdrying and excessive moistening of an earthy coma is also a very common mistake. In the first case, the active roots die off, the leaves curl and fall off along with the flowers and fruits. With excessive watering, the roots rot, the leaves turn yellow.

It is best to pour water into the pan - then the substrate is evenly saturated with moisture and nutrients are not washed out. The most moisture-loving among citrus fruits is lemon, the most drought-resistant is orange. Often plants are watered with very warm water (40°C), which causes the roots to die. You can't go to extremes either. When watering with cold water, the roots rot, and the plants also die. The water temperature should be 2-3°C, and during fruiting 5-10°C above room temperature.

Remember that the roots of citrus fruits are located in the top layer of the soil, so you have to pry it carefully, and water frequently, but in small doses.

For successful cultivation very important and light mode. Strong shading leads to the formation of large dark green leaves and the exhaustion of plants. Direct sunlight causes a pale color of leaves, burns of fruits and ovaries and their abscission. The most shade-tolerant lemon, the orange is photophilous and heat-resistant.

Citrus love diffused sunlight, it is best to place them on a window facing the southeast or southwest side. And remember: the higher the temperature in the room, the more intense the lighting should be. Dry room air causes great suffering to citruses - the tips of the leaves dry up, the buds, ovaries and fruits fall off. To avoid this, regularly wash and spray the plants. If the pot is near the battery, then a container of water is placed on it, which, as it evaporates, will saturate the air with moisture.

Home citrus plants, soil composition, nutrition, top dressing, fertilizers

Highly demanding citrus fruits, especially lemons, to nutrition. It is no coincidence that in the plant kingdom they are called gluttons. Plants are fed all year round, except for the period from October to February, when they are given only a weak solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect the soil. The rest of the time fertilizing is carried out by alternating organic fertilizers with mineral, once every 7-10 days. This increases the sugar content of the fruit and reduces their bitterness. Recommended fertilizer mixtures: foskamide, darina, ideal, agrovit-cor.

Citruses are highly adaptable to soil conditions. They just cannot stand very acidic soils and the presence of peat. Usually they make up a mixture of turf and leafy soil, humus, sand (2: 1: 1: 1). Citrus fruits should not be placed in the same room as strong-smelling plants, as they do not like other people's smells. They don't like smokers either.: in protest, they can even throw off the leaves.

Responsibility is the transplant. The most common mistakes: transplanting plants with flowers and fruits, which causes them to shed, as well as the destruction of an earthy coma, strong root pruning. Both deep and shallow planting can be the reason for the lack of fruit. The root neck should be slightly above the soil level.

Home citrus plants, winter diseases, how to form a crown

Citrus fruits cause the most problems to their owners in winter, when they shed their leaves. There can be many reasons for this phenomenon: light starvation, a combination of insufficient illumination with high temperature and low air humidity; the difference in the temperature of the aerial part and the root system of the plant, when the pot is blown with cold air from the window, and the crown is in favorable room conditions; lack or excess of nutrition. And other problems

Some beginner citrus growers have no idea about the right crown formation. And this is the main reason for the lack of fruiting and the loss of decorativeness.

Without human intervention, the plant will not be able to form a crown in a short time. Thanks to pruning, shoots of the 4th and 5th branching orders develop faster, on which fruits are formed.

At the tangerine the crown is prone to thickening, so frequent thinning is necessary. orange tree rapidly stretches upward, therefore, it is necessary to limit its growth. The lemon has very little branching, so the plant undergoes heavy pruning to get it to flower and bear fruit.

One adult plant in our apartment is capable of producing up to 30 fruits annually.

Domestic citrus plants, artificial pollination of flowers, fruiting, rejuvenation

Artificial pollination of flowers. When pollinating flowers, pollen is applied with a soft brush) to increase fruit set.

In the rooms you observe a large shedding of ovaries. To avoid this during fruit formation more often water the plants and spray them warm water. Do not forget about the rationing of fruits. The first flowers on young plants must be removed. A three-year-old plant leaves only 2-3 fruits. In subsequent years, they proceed from this ratio: one fruit should be fed from 10-15 leaves, and, of course, the well-being of the plant itself is taken into account so that the first harvest does not turn out to be the last for it.

If the fruiting of a young and healthy tree is weak, then it can be strengthened. For example, pull the main branches with a tourniquet (this technique will cause the accumulation of plastic substances and the laying of flower buds); regularly feed the plant with superphosphate. You can grow a seedling and graft it into the crown of a fruit-bearing tree, or graft an eyeball from the top of the plant to its bottom.

If a citrus plant lives with you for a very long time and produces few fruits, it can be rejuvenated. To do this, all large branches are cut into 3-4 eyes, and their branching is cut into a ring. The rejuvenated plant is transplanted into nutrient soil, shortening the roots by one third.

Here, perhaps, is all the wisdom of caring for citrus fruits.

T.Zavyalova, Ph.D. Sciences